Buying LE's to Sell at Higher Price

If there are cheaper dolls on the market - that's great. If its for a hundred or two hundred dollars more, that's acceptable. But sometimes a doll goes for far too much, even if it is a limited and its in high demand. It also confuses the market prices for dolls and raises them all up across the board, which makes getting to a limited even harder. Its not illegal, and I agree that its really the seller's business.

That being said - this sort of activity really discourages buyers from a community that technically exists as a celebration of our inner worlds and pretty things. These dolls are expensive, but really, are not intended for money making schemes.

 

Absolutely hate flippers/scalpers. I'm sorry if my romantic idea of someone who actually wants said LE should be able to buy it over someone who ends up selling it for a hundereds bucks more days after the LE's sold out.

The difference between a flake or someone who just isn't into the LE once they have it... and a flipper, is that the flipper's sole purpose is for inflated resale. - In my opinion, anyway.

Yeah, it makes me angry. I can't stand watching someone buy hard to find items in bulk just to sell for profit. You see it a LOT in the Monster High doll hobby and in the My Little Pony hobby too! It makes it hard to enjoy a hobby when you have people who obviously take the time and effort to obtain LE's and HTF's to make a profit.

I'm not trying to come off as "entitled", but I am pretty sure the whole LE and HTF thing in hobbies is the maker's way of making something super special for their fanbase. Take Volks Sei and Rei Tenshis for example. Super special, not available anywhere but at Dolpas as raffle and game of chance prizes to show appreciation to their customers. Then you see these super rare Sei and Rei's being sold for a few thousand... after they were initially obtained for free. Most Sei and Rei owners do not sell the tenshis but you do see some come up for sale. ( Since Volks frowns upon selling them, from what I understand ).

I think that in a sense, Scalpers and Flippers steal from the hobby. But again, my own opinion.

 

This is the worst part about Dollfie Dreams Scalpers totally take the fun out of the hobby, especially since Dollfie Dreams are only retail price (save for couple, example Rei) directly from Volks.

People feed these scalpers by buying these rare dolls as they almost seem to set the after market price.

I have seen someone blatantly flip a doll and tell everyone about it. Nobody was impressed. When item descriptions say something along the lines of "Just opened to take pictures" or "Just opened to make sure there was no damage," that, in my opinion, could be a sign of a scalper

 

For me all this falls under the heading of "I can only control my actions, not the actions or reactions of others." That said, I must admit that I felt pretty used I helped someone several years ago, who I thought was a friend of one of my close friends, get a very limited doll from an event. I was stunned to see this person gloat here on DoA how they'd made a profit of several thousand dollars selling it to someone else while it was being shipped to them! Had I known that this individual wasn't a real friend of my friend, but only someone who took advantage of his good nature by begging him to help get her "dream doll" for her...I wouldn't have been party to this, and neither would my friend. These days, I'm much more selective in doling out help or favors of any kind. As for the scalper, Karma has a way of working these things out.

Juli DC

 

I was once really into Living Dead Dolls and I got a couple from ebay. Then I came across a seller (whom I had bought a couple of dolls from) actually bidding against me for one of the dolls. I found his actions strange until I realized he was buying it cheap from other people and selling it at a hugely inflated price. Someone actually left a scathing message to him about his actions and he had the gall to reply that that was the whole point of buying these dolls - to sell them for a profit. After this and a couple of more really shady deals, my passion for them waned. They are currently sitting in boxes, unopened and collecting dust.

Of course I understand from a business point of view - profit means everything. Good for them they are earning a profit but the ones hurt from their actions are us. I do become angry when dolls limited to numbers are snatched up by those wanting to make a profit. However, I don't feel the same if the dolls were time limited. How does that make sense?
Scenerio: I want a doll that's period limited. I don't have the money to get it now and once the period ends, I'll never be able to. However, someone comes along and orders it with the mindset of selling it later. They put it on the market at a later date. By that time, I have the money and I want it so much I don't care how much more expensive it's become. I am actually grateful this person got it when I couldn't. And it's a bonus that he's never played with it because it will be like getting it new. So I actually don't mind shelling out that extra money. I'll probably even feel that it was a profit they deserved.

So I guess when they're useful to us, we love them. But when they inconvenience us, we hate them?

 

There is a difference between someone who buys a LE to resell, and someone who finds out they don't like the sculpt after they get it. And the difference is a few hundred dollars. I don't mind if people want to make back their money and a little extra when they buy an LE doll, but it really annoys me when they double the amount for the doll.

Not to point fingers, but as an example....Irrealdoll Enyo/Ino. There have been a few people on here and on other forums who get the doll and then immediately put it up when they get it for double what they paid. These are the people I don't like. Recouping costs is understandable, but if you can afford to fork out $400 for a doll, just to resell higher......you don't need the money....you are taking advantage of people.

I know I am repeating myself, but I just wanted to explain how I see the difference between someone recouping costs and someone taking advantage of others. My ex was famous for this type of crap.....he would buy swords from manufacturers for like $50 and then resell them to other people for over $400. Used to piss me off.....one of the reasons he is an EX.

Buying a LE for higher than it was when it came out is understandable...it is a LE. Just don't gouge people for it. *steps off soapbox*

 

This part makes sense to me! If the doll was time limited then the "flippers" wernt taking the opportunity away from anyone to own the doll, the number of dolls were made for the number of people who ordered. However, if the doll is a limited edition of say, 30, and someone goes and buys 5 with the sole intention of reselling for profit, then there are 5 customers who missed out on a doll they would have loved because of the flipper.

 

Pretty much this.
It's completely understandable for people to resell LEs for more than retail, but flipping the doll as soon as it arrives home for twice as much and on occasion more is a terrible thing to do. It makes it hard for people that love a doll to own it because unless it's some sort of penultimate grail doll I don't think many would be financially able (or willing) to drop enough money to buy three full dolls on just a doll head -and it's often that you'll see these dolls floating in the market unsold for ages. I, myself, almost gave up on one of my grail dolls because of it until a decent deal surprisingly came along.

In my opinion, if scalpers didn't run as rampant recasts (that are a big problem in the community) wouldn't be as popular either. Many of the recasted sculpts are old LEs that if one could find for a decent deal secondhand wouldn't have to resort to buying the counterfeit (that doesn't mean everyone would suddenly become a saint and forsake recasts because of it, just that some people that do buy recasts might be more willing to buy the actual doll). That's besides the point though. I think it's bad, bad business to do that and I, personally, refuse to have any sort of transactions with such people.

 

I only hate when they double the price. I really want a Volks Lorina, but am i willing to pay double what you did? not to mention the fact they are usually blank when they sell them, so youre paying double for a doll that you dont even get everything for. it legitimately pisses me off when i see this happening.

 

I'm not surprised by this behavior, but I don't think it's a good way to do business. I've noticed that bjds are not always a good investment, and you can't guartnee that they will hold their value.

From another side, if someone has the money to buy a LE knowing they're not going to keep it, it's their choice to resell it and try to make a profit off of it. Though twice what they paid is sorta silly to me.

I buy and sell old My Little Ponies that I pick up at Goodwill as I find them. Many of the MLPs that I buy I use for customizing into new ponies, but I also know that some are worth something to others. So I do my research, and find out if they're actually worth something. I offer them for sale on the MLP forum I use first for what the rough market value is, and then take them to ebay, usually starting them around $2. Yes, I'm doing this to earn a few bucks, but I'm doing it because I love MLP. I know that I can find a better home for some of the ponies than Goodwill could. But that doesn't sound like what's going on in this case.

My thought is that it's their money to do with as they see fit, and it's their choice to sell LEs at a gross infalation. That doesn't mean we have to pay it though. If no one wants to pay what they're asking, the hope is that they'll drop their prices and/or stopping trying to flip LEs.

 

It kind of seems like a double standard to me when people say that recasters are stealing out of the company's pockets, but then try and flog off a brand new limited doll for double the original price, aren't they both an affront to the original artists?

I understand not bonding with a doll right away, or knowing you never will and then re-selling it, but let's be reasonable if the doll listed is many hundreds of dollars above the original asking price you're not just trying to recover your costs, you are trying to make a big fat profit, it feels a little like emotional extortion to me. People who missed their chance to get the doll they really loved (and I've been in this boat myself when a company randomly changed the order period) these people are forced to give up the idea of this doll they really want, or pay the over inflated prices.
I don't think it's a smart business move, I think you're just being a jerk.